Ukrainian doctor waiting for word to come to Nova Scotia

Dr. Daria Peremot is a trained otolaryngologist who is currently living in Iceland with her son.

Peremot wants to come to Nova Scotia to work as a doctor, but getting to Nova Scotia is her first problem. She has received her visa, but the paperwork for her nine-year-old son hasn’t yet come through.

“All documents like birth certificate and all other documents I translated to English. So I’m still waiting for a final decision about this question,” says Peremot.

An email about the visa delay to CTV from Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada says they can’t speak to Dr. Peremot’s case specifically but in general terms:

“Certain applications require additional review to ensure that all supporting documentation is included; this is particularly true of minor children. Because of this, some members of families will receive news on their applications before others.”

Approximately 190 doctors have reached out to Nova Scotia’s College of Physicians and Surgeons about practicing in the province and there are currently active applications, but none have been approved.

Hurdles include being legal to work in Canada, language barriers, and training.

“It’s very clear that the postgraduate training, their residency training if you will, is not the same as Canadian training,” says Dr. Gus Grant, Registrar and CEO of The Nova Scotia College of Physicians and Surgeons. “We’re not doing an apples to apples comparison.”

According to Nova Scotia Health, 430 Ukrainians have enrolled in the Nova Scotia International Community of Health Care Workers Program or “NICHE” for short. Included are RNs and LPNs. Some physicians have also been hired into other roles when possible.

Licensure from the College could come next for some.

“We need to welcome them, we need to assess them and value them and put them in a position to succeed,” says Grant.